This is dedicated to all human survival modes. Robust health is essential if we want to meet our goals in this life. It is never too late to be wise. It is never too early to revise.

Monday, June 14, 2010

The Myth of Cholesterol

The Myth of CausalityThe belief that cholesterol causes atherosclerosis and consequently heart disease.

How did cholesterol get such a bad reputation? Part of the answer lies in the approach taken by modern medicine.The reasoning along "Germ Theory of Disease", has been to focus on determining a single cause for a given disease, begins to falter when applied to most other diseases. Causation is not so straight forward, especially in cancer and heart disease.

Louis Pasteur himself re-evaluated his germ theory in later years. He is believed to have said : "It is not the germ ; it is the terrain." This statement opens the door for a deeper analysis of disease causation, taking into account the significant role played by the individual's general health (the "terrain").

The Case Against Cholesterol. (Victimization?)While searching for "the cause" of heart disease, pathologists notice that blood vessels were clogged with plaques and debris. These plaques were areas of hardness with a mushy center ; hence, the term atherosclerosis from the Greek words atheroma meaning "gruel" and sklerosis meaning "hardening." They later determined that the mushy center had a high concentration of cholesterol. Logic followed : Since the narrowing of arteries was caused by atherosclerosis, and cholesterol was at the center of these plaques, cholesterol must be the cause of the disease. The culprit had been found. Oversight in reality. This circumstantial evidence seemed enough to convict the criminal for life.

This line of reasoning is analogous to the following: A pipe in your house breaks. You look inside the pipe and see a white crusty buildup of calcium phosphate compounds. You see that the buildup is greater particularly where the pipe snapped. Did the buildup cause the pipe to break? Of course not. The more likely explanation is that there was a defect in the pipe that allowed for more calcium phosphate to collect at that point. That is all. The buildup was a symptom of the problem, not the cause.

Only a few doctors really understood how cellular dehydration can cause the body to overproduce cholesterol in order to protect some of the drying up cells from premature death. The only logical remedy and step to reverse this overproduction of cholesterol is to replenish the body with correct amount of water daily. Water deficit is the cause, and higher cholesterol is just a symptom.

Protein-rich diet cause plaque buildup in pathology specimens. A high-protein diet was the cause of atherosclerosis. Avoid protein foods, but have a diet of amino acids, no atherosclerosis development.

At first glance, the case against cholesterol appears solidly grounded. But upon further analysis, it becomes evident that circumstantial evidence is being used to convict an otherwise innocent bystander-cholesterol.

France has a high intake of fat and cholesterol and a low incidence of heart disease. Wine. Holland and Norway consume less wine and more fat than France had even lower incident of heart disease. Sorry, it is not wine.

Lipid hypothesis has many weaknesses.Note: Lipoprotein Cross Section : Since oil and water do not mix, there need to be a way to transport lipids (mainly oils) in the blood (mainly water). Lipoprotein encases the lipids so that they can be transported on the blood.